Composition of matter.



rrv enemas recrea e eerie SHERMAN BROWN, or ri'riseonegnansas,

No. 885,976. Specification of Application filed Apri1 2&,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN BROWN, a citizen of the ,United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State-of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Composition of Matter, of which the followingis a specification.-

This invention relates to a composition of matter to be used in the tanning of hides, the object being to produce reparation by means of whicli hides of all kinds can be tanned in 'at least one-half the time now I required for that purpose, and atmuch less by taking,

and produce a better grade of the decoction of witch hazel, and one'eighth of an ounce of the decoction of blackberryroots. These substances are thoroughly mixed and a suf'licient quantity of the tanning composition is placed in a vat to act on the hides placed therein, the size, age, thickness, and number of the hides determining the quantity 'of the composition to be'used. Hides arethoroughly tanned in from four hours to eight days,- the length of time depending upon theirage and thickness.

The decootion of witch hazel is produced for e'xample,one pound of the bark as it coniesfrom the tree, placing it in two gallons of Water and boiling it for two hours in a closed vessel, and then -straining.

. The resultant-decoction will measure some- Where betweena pint and a quart,'t he variation being due to the character of the boiling, that isto. say, whether it be hard. or gentle. The deceetion of blackberry roots is produced by taking, for example,- one pound of the roots, as they comefrom the ground, placing themin two gallons-of Waterand boilin them for two hours in a closed Vessel-and theh straining. The resultant decoction will 'measure somewhere between a pint and a COMPOSITIQN 0F MATTER.

Letters Patent. Patented s rees, mos. new. Serial immense.

, uart. the variation bei due tothc char acter .oithe boiling, that is to say whether it will be hard or gentle. ".Tiie decoctions thus obtained are adde'ii to a quantity of Water containing a solution of iron). one and a half.

tov five poundsof gambier, the-'amount'o? gambier depending upon the quantity of water'required tocovkarthe hide, oolorand set the grain, care bein taken to have the two decocti'ons thoroug 1y mixed with the gambier solution. The hide Will remain sub merged in the ooze for a period of from four hours to eight days, the length of time depending on the age and thickness of the hide;

After the hides have' been submerged the required length of time in the ooze formed by the ingredients, they areremoved-and thoroughly washed with Water, and then treated with fish oil. These steps effectively remove any tannic acid presentv The above described composition is cheap, and possesses excellent tanning qualities;

the witch hazel alone containing ninety-five percent., and the blackberry root decoction,

seventy-five percent. The leather by this process has great strength, urability and life, it is soft and pliant, and contains no acid, and is made in one-half the time and at one-half the cost of' present methods.

The proportions of the ingredients above given are substantially those-preferred, but changes may be made in vthe relative. quanthe'invention.

1. The herein described composition. of matter consisting of 'gambier, a decoction of roots and water.

2. The herein described composition of matter consisting of gambler, five ounds, decoction of witch hazel, OIlflflght of an ounce, decootion of blackberry" roots, oneeighth of an ounce, and soft Water, six gallons. In testimony that I plaim the foregoing as my own,.I have hereto affixed inthe presence or" two witnesse i snnnnan BROWN;

Vi itnesses J. O. Gowns,

WM. Lauren, Jr.

roduced'.

Witch hazel, and a decoction of blackberry my signature,

e5 tities'without departing from the spirit of 

